At the moment we are in a series looking at things to meditate on. We've been saying that if we profess to be Christians that implies certain obligations on our part.
- Christians pray. Devote yourselves to prayer, Paul says (Colossians 4:2).
- Christians read their Bibles. Psalm 1 says the blessed person delights in the law of the Lord
- Christians also meditate on God and his Word, as Psalm 1 says, day and night.
To help us in this we are suggesting subjects that you can usefully meditate on. So far we've looked at four subjects - God's nature and attributes, the states of Christ (his humiliation and exaltation), human nature ion its fourfold state and the four last things (death, judgement, heaven and hell).
In the list I am working from the Puritan George Swinnock also mentions the offices of Christ (His being prophet, priest and king) the vanity of the creature, the sinfulness of sin, the love and fullness of the Saviour. Then at the end of his list he has the divine Word and the divine works.
A great deal of our time meditating will be spent simply meditating on a verse or several verses of Scripture. You take a verse, say John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. You think of the fact the sentence begins with God - where we must always begin. It speaks of God's love (God so loved). It is always good to meditate on God's love. When it comes to world you'll have to decide what it means in that context - obviously not the planet, probably not all the people in it, either. Probably the world in the sense of its wickedness and lostness. God so loved the world that he gave - he did something about it. He gave his one and only Son ... and so on.
Besides meditating on God's Word, we should meditate on his works. This can be a little more difficult to get to but there are lots of resources for us. So for example, have you ever sat and thought about water? Perhaps not but it is worth doing.
Let me quote from part of an article I found on water.
... Water might not immediately come to mind when we think of God's good gifts to us. But it is so well designed for our use that a simple glass of water should make us aware of the fingerprint of the Creator and give him glory.
Water is not only essential to life on earth, but also incredibly useful. We drink it, cook with it, bathe in it, clean with it, play in it (or on it in colder times) ... Water regulates earth’s temperature, provides a habitat for the seafood we eat and is essential for growing all of our food. And those are only a few of water’s uses!
Water is colourless and tasteless, making it perfect for cooking. If it had a flavour or even a colour, certain foods would be made much less appetising. Research has even shown our bodies may be able to taste tasteless water, alerting us if we are drinking something that looks like water but is not actually water. Water in its pure state has a neutral pH (not an acid or alkali), again making it perfect for cooking and drinking.
Water is ideal for transporting dissolved substances, such as minerals, nutrients and waste, throughout (or out of) our bodies.
Water is one of few liquids that expand when frozen, allowing it to float on liquid water. If water sank when it froze, aquatic life in colder climates would be impossible.
Water molecules stick to each other, creating surface tension. Surface tension allows insects to walk on water, makes rain fall in droplets, allows particles to float in water and keeps water from immediately evaporating.
... Water was one of God’s first creations. Genesis 1:1, 2 says God created the heavens and earth and initially the earth was covered in water. As 2 Peter emphasises, the earth was formed out of water and through water (2 Pet 3:5). On day two, this water was separated so some remains on earth and some is spread throughout the heavens ....
I'm sure you could do that with other subjects such as air and fire and so on. What I thought we could usefully do this morning is to consider some of the animals God has created. Probably the best way to do that is to go to Scripture and some of the passages that mention animals and direct our meditation in that way. I want us to look at four places
1. Learn from the various animals mentioned in the closing chapters of Job
So first let's go to the closing chapters of Job, chapters 38-40, where a number of creatures are mentioned. The reason they are mentioned, along with things like snow and ice, rain and hail, the stars and the sea, is to underline the simple truth that God is in control and that if we wish to challenge the way he runs this world then we need to get some education first. There is a whole lot going on in this world that we know very little about.
The references to animals begin at the end of Chapter 38 (39-41) where God asks the question
Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food? Now we have a tremendous advantage over Job I guess in that we know what is being spoken about here. We have seen documentaries that show lions hunting or ravens feeding their young. When we see such footage we ought to remember that it is God who created all these creatures and who cares for them all in the wild. He is in absolute control.
The passage goes on to speak about mountain goats, wild donkeys, the wild oxen, ostriches, horses and birds of prey like hawks and eagles. Job has to put his hand over his mouth and humble himself. What does he know?
And then it starts up again. God speaks this time about the Behemoth, a land creature, and at length, the Leviathan, a sea creature. The writer has a lot of fun. He says of the Leviathan (41:4) Can you make a pet of it like a bird or put it on a leash for the young women in your house? We are not sure what these creatures are. Are they creatures still around today like a hippo and a whale or are they extinct creatures like dragons and dinosaurs? Whatever they are, the point still stands - God has made these magnificent creatures and he sustains them and every time we see or think about such creatures we ought to acknowledge the greatness and power of God.
2. Learn from some lions and a great fish in the Books of Daniel and Jonah
Understandably, the stories of Daniel in the lions den and Jonah in the belly of the great fish are among the most famous in the Old Testament. In Daniel 6 Daniel as an old man becomes the third highest in the Persian kingdom under Darius. Due to the envy of his enemies he ends up, despite all Darius can do, as you know, being thrown into a den of lions, which were kept for amusement and as an occasional means of punishing offenders.
You are well aware that lions are dangerous creatures. Every few weeks or so you can read about people being attacked and often killed by lions. $ For example the other day 22 year old Alexandra Black was killed by a lion in a Conservation Centre in Indiana when an enclosure was being cleaned. She had a degree in animal behaviour and had started working as an intern at the centre two weeks before. Attempts to tranquilise the animal failed so it was shot dead. It's unclear how it escaped the area that was supposed to be locked.
Now what happens in Daniel's case is that though he is lowered into the very den where these lions are kept he spends a whole night there unharmed. It is wonderful to read what happened the next morning (Daniel 6:19-23) At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions? Daniel answered, May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty. The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, and don't miss this because he had trusted in his God. This is a dangerous fallen world but we will be safe if we trust in the Lord. When Daniel's false accusers and their families are thrown into the same den (24), strikingly before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
The story of Jonah is similar in some ways, except in this story Jonah is actually swallowed by a great sea creature but he prays from the very belly of the fish and is miraculously vomited out alive.
Plenty of people say it didn't happen, of course, and it is not something we can be sure has happened since. There are lots of stories but none seem to be authentic. There are sea creatures that could swallow a man whole - a sperm whale or white shark for example - the problem is surviving once in there. It is likely that Jonah was bleached by the stomach juices. If we believe this is God's Word there is no need to doubt the truth of the story. Like the story of Daniel it is a story of the power of faith, the goodness of God and the fact that he is a God who can raise us from the dead.
3. Learn from the various animals mentioned in Proverbs 30
Proverbs 30 is by a man called Agur son of Jakeh. Chapter 30 refers to some 12 different creatures as Agur endeavours to drive home various points. Let's think about these different animals then.
1. Learn from the leech about insatiable things. 15, 16 The leech has two daughters. 'Give! Give!' they cry. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, 'Enough!': the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, 'Enough!'
So we begin with the humble leech. As you know, the outstanding feature of leeches is that they are bloodsuckers. It sounds horrible but we should be thankful for them. The medical profession still use them - for example to improve blood circulation. The leech's insatiable desire for blood is a pointer to four other things - the grave, the barren womb, land in time of drought and fire.
There never comes a point where the grave says ‘Okay, enough people have died’. Death goes on and on and will until Christ returns.
It is a terrible thing for woman to want children and yet not be able to. It is not good saying to such a woman ‘Well you’ve been trying for a few years now. Best give up on it.’ No, while there is a possibility of bearing children she will long for it. Pray for such people.
Think also of how drought, on one hand, can devastate a country and of how fires can do such damage. Again it stirs us to pray.
The leech gives us insights then. Beware of your passions and ambitions. They can be powerful things. Look to Lord and his will, rather.
2. Learn from the vultures and ravens about obeying your parents. Verse 17 seems a strange proverb The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.
It is from a desert culture where a child is warned by its parents not to wander off. Once or twice the child disobediently wanders, however, but thankfully is found again unharmed. Again it is reminded to obey its parents. But then it strays again. This time there is no happy ending. It is only some time later that the child is found its eyes pecked out by ravens, its little body eaten by vultures.
3. Learn from eagles and snakes about what happens when difficult things become easy. 18-20 There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman. This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.'
First we are reminded of some amazing, incomprehensible things. The first two concern animals
The way an eagle flies through the sky. They do it with amazing ease. Not like us at all.
The way a snake moves across rough rock. Snakes have no legs but can quickly move along even on rough ground. How different we are - barefoot on a pebble beach for example.
He also mentions a ship far from port - out on the high seas. What a majestic sight - a ship sailing on the sea. The last reference is either the act of wooing or the actual mysterious act of love.
Some see the point of comparison in the fact no trace is left in each case. Rather the point is that these mysterious things seem hard, almost impossible - flying, moving smoothly over rock, riding the waves, a man seducing a maiden - but happen. In verse 5 we see the adulteress who sees the act of adultery as like having a meal. You think that a terrible thing, I trust. How can she live with herself? For her sex is no big deal. Yes, the first time perhaps it was something (like the first time you see an eagle fly, a snake on a rock) but no longer. Her conscience is seared. What about you? Are you so used to certain sins, you think nothing of them? What a danger! Recognise it. Repent!
4. Learn from from four small creatures about using resources wisely. (Skipping over verses 21-23) 24-28 Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.
Four small creatures that are wise in certain respects
Ants - small insects that work hard all summer building up stores of food for winter. (There is a longer section on the ant as an example in Chapter 6)
Hyraxes (or some other small creature like a rabbit). For protection these creatures wisely hide in holes in the rocks, safe from predators.
Locusts - Larger than most ants but still small. Together they cause large scale devastation.
Lizards - If you've lived in hot climates you know how you see them in people's houses.
In each case the stress is on the animal's limited size then on the wise way they overcome that disadvantage. Creatures with little strength or power, with no king and that are easily caught make preparations for winter, hide in the crags, advance in ranks and are found in palaces.
We should praise God for these different creatures he has made and learn not to despise the weak. We too are weak and must learn to make the most of our circumstances. Out limitations must not be an excuse for doing nothing. Rather, prepare for judgement day; hide in the Rock who is Christ; unite with other believers and despite your weakness be bold to believe you may enter the palace of the Great King by grace.
5. Learn from four other creatures about true dignity. 29-31 There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting cockerel, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt.
Here we have three stately animals - a fearless lion, a strutting cockerel, a he-goat - and a king with his army. Nothing is spelled out but it is likely that Agur is getting us to think about the nature and variety of dignity. We need to recognise where true dignity lies - not in our own bravery, our clothing, our uniqueness or our strength. Rather true human dignity is in being made in the image of God. That image is recreated when we trust in Christ.
4. Learn from the four animals mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 10:16
To finish, let's meditate a short while on Matthew 10:16. There Jesus is about to send out his disciples on mission and he says I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
So in one short sentence Jesus mentions four animals for us to think about, when it comes to evangelism. In each case it is only one characteristic of the animal that is in mind and if you want to understand what Jesus is saying you need to get that right. If you decided that the thing about sheep was that they produce wool, about wolves that they are nocturnal, snakes that they are found on the ground and doves that they are white, you would not learn much. In fact with the latter two Jesus spells out that is the shrewdness of snakes he has in mind and the innocence of doves. As for sheep and wolves, in that context they are marked by ferociousness and vulnerability.
And so we say we must go out and tell people about Jesus but we are vulnerable people going out among wolves who can easily undermine what we say and do us spiritual or even physical harm if we do not take care. I remember talking to a fellow student when I was in college who had come full of enthusiasm to tell people about Jesus. For him that meant getting involved in student life - drinking and dancing and so on. What he was finding, however, was that not only was it not going very well in that he wasn't winning others over but he was getting more and more worldly. He was forgetting that he was a sheep among wolves, who were baying for his blood.
With that is the call to be as shrewd as a snake and as innocent as a dove. We need to carefully think through how we can best win people. When a fisherman goes fishing, he will make sure that he has the right bait for catching the sort of fish he is after. We too have to do similar thinking. At the same time we need to be innocent, not trying to take advantage of people or trick them.
A few years ago I was in a research centre in South Wales. I thought I recognised the man in charge there. He was a friend of a good Christian friend of mine. We got chatting and he remembered coming to our church one Friday night to see a film. The film was called To Russia with love and he had been led to believe it was some sort of spy film. In fact it was a Christian film about the gospel in Russia. Misleading this man, boy as he was then, was certainly shrewd but it lacked innocency and so it utterly failed. It simply left a bitter taste and so the man was no nearer to becoming a Christian by it.